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In honor of blacks
By Paul McKay
C. Neal was reserved and
unassuming, but he got things
done and he earned respect.
"When he spoke people
listened," an admirer says.
The late R.C. Neal was an educator in
the Bryan school system for 31 years. He is
one of 28 Brazos County men and women
who will be remembered in February, pro-
claimed by the mayors of Bryan and Col-
lege Station as Black History Month.
Four local groups are sponsoring lec-
tures, poetry readings, concerts and other
activities throughout the month. The whole
affair is aimed at increasing the public's
awareness of local black history, heritage
and culture.
Sponsoring the activities are the Com-
munity Forum, the Bethune Women's
Club, the TAMU Black Awareness Com-
mittee and the Brazos County NAACP.
In a ceremony to be held on Feb. 27,
EDUCATION
Robert C. Neal was born in Independence in 1892
and was raised in Navasota. At age 16 he entered
prep school at Fisk University in Nashville. He later
entered the School of Pharmacy at Meharry
Medical College, where he studied for one year.
Acting on advice from his father, he entered
Howard University in Washington, D.C., and earn-
ed an A.B. degree. Neal then went to New York Ci-
ty, took a storekeeper's job and entered graduate
Nhver Sadberry Sr.
Community Forum, a group of more than
30 black professionals and business per-
sons, will honor Neal and the 27 other
blacks that the Forum named to a special
black history honor roll.
Erma Jefferson, a Community Forum
representative, said the honorees' names
are being inscribed in caligraphy on a
special scroll. The names of more promi-
nent blacks will be added to the scroll in
future years, she said.
"We selected people we felt were
outstanding — people who were role
models for young blacks," Jefferson said.
"They were selected to make other young
blacks aware of their heritage. Many young
people don't know that there have been
black doctors in Brazos County, or that
there once was a black hospital here."
The honorees were selected according to
the business and professional fields in
which they gainedprominence.
Biographical sketches of them follow:
Sadberry held B.A. and M.A. degrees from
Prairie View. He also did special graduate work at
Kansas State, Tuskegee, Grumbling and the Univer-
sity of Texas.
He was active in local parks and recreation
development and helped start several youth pro-
grams, including a scouting program for blacks.
Sadberry also served on the beard of St. Joseph
Hospital. He was an active member of Pleasant
Grove Baptist Church.
until his death. teachin
R.0 Neal
King taught science at Lincoln High School in
College Station and Neal Junior High in Bryan. He
was part owner of People's Mortuary in Bryan for
about 18 years.
King, a member of Lee Chapel Methodist
Church, was voted the church's Man of the Year in
1949. He served as a church school superintendent
and was also an officer in the Masonic Lodge.
He died in 1972 at age 60.
World War 11. He sold insurance forUmver-
Insurance Co. three years before he started B
F
Bryan -
,e died in 1979 at age 67.
College Station Eagle Saturday, February 5, 1983